Culture Shock
by pressprincess
Summary: Alessandra has just moved to Japan and transferred to Ouran from a prestigious Catholic school in Italy. What happens when this reserved, shy, straight A student meets the host club? Will there be love in the air? Or will she go insane before the end of term? Oh, and did I mention she's sort of staying the Ootori family? (Established TamakixHaruhi, cuz i love them together!)
1. To Japan!

Hope you guys like this! This is my first Ouran OC fic, and the first Ouran fic I've ever posted on FF, so be nice 'kay?

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**Prologue:**  
**To Japan!**

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(1)"_Non voglio lasciare! La sua non è giusto!_" Alessandra shouted angrily at her mother. "I can't believe you're making me go!"

"You know this is an important opportunity for your father!" Maria Arcangelo countered. "Stop being so selfish!"

Alessandra shrieked in anger, "Mother, please!" she pleaded. "I have never disobeyed or argued in my entire life! Why am I being punished?!"

(2)"_Principressa_, I know this is not ideal," Maria sighed, calming considerably. "But, you must understand…our company needs this right now. You know how badly we're struggling. And the Ootori family are being kind enough to lend us their support and help us get back on our feet! You must understand."

The girl too sighed. "I know, Mamma. I do understand really, I just wish there was another way."

Maria stroked her daughter's long curls. "I know, _tesoro_ (3). I wish the same."

"Ehem."

The two turned to the doorway, to see Alessandra's younger brother Carmine waiting.

"Papa is waiting," he told them, his tone bittersweet. "We're ready."

Alessandra held back tears, as her mother helped her grab her bags. They all exited the room and Alessandra took one last look around at the stunning décor, and architecture of her home. Italia was the most amazing place and now she was leaving; going to some country she'd never been too. Yes it was an amazing country, and she had enjoyed the language lessons her parents had made her take, but still. She stopped, as she neared the awaiting limousine, and turned back around to face the Arcangelo Estate. It was where she had spent her entire fifteen years of existence. She had played, laughed, cried and felt pain, and now, she would never see it again.

Carmine stood to her right, while her other brother, Antony, stood to her left. They both put their arms around her, as all three stared up at their home. Alessandra knew they didn't want to leave, either, but, unfortunately, no one had been given a choice in the matter. Her father had made the decision, to destroy their lives, without discussion. Now, they were being forced to leave their friends, family, and everything they had ever held dear, in their entire lives, just because the Company was crumbling.

It wasn't fair, but, then again, when was her life ever fair?

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**Hope at least someone is interested. I'm only posting it because I've got writers block on my Teen Titans fic. Sorry to those of you who are ready that story...I'LL POST AS SOON AS I CAN.**

**Oh, and just so you know...**

**(1) "I do not want to go! It isn't fair!**

**(2) Princess**

**(3) Darling**

**If anything is translated wrong, please do not yell at me...blame Google Translate! I probably won't be using anymore Italian since the rest of the story, y'know, takes place in Japan so if I screwed up it won't happen again!**

**REVIEW BUT BE NICE! I don't flame people, so I really don't appreciate people flaming me. Thanks 3**


	2. Kyouya has a guest!

**Heeeeyyyyyy, chapter two! I had this all pre-written so i should be able to update pretty quick...at least for the first few chapters.**

**Oh and just so you know...I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING OURAN RELATED. I DISCLAIM!**

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**Chapter: 1**  
**Kyouya has a guest!**

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"And remember, don't make them uncomfortable," Kyouya's father finally ended his rant.

The youngest Ootori hadn't been paying much attention, all he cared about was that there was going to be a foreign family staying in his home until their Mansion was finished.

"Father," his sister spoke. "Isn't it a bit odd for the president of a crumbling company, to be having an extravagant house built? Aren't they going bankrupt?"

Kyouya had briefly been thinking the same thing. What idiot throws away money, he could be using to rebuild his empire?

"Yes, well, that's none of our business. Besides, the sooner they have a place to stay, the sooner we can be rid of them."

Sighing, Kyouya stood. "I'm going to my bedroom," he said, slight annoyance lacing his tone. He didn't want to be discussing this any longer.

"Mister Ootori," a petite maid said, walking into the room.

Kyouya stopped dead in his tracks, clenching his jaw. _Of course…_

"May I present, the Arcangelo family."

Turning around as too avoid being snapped at for being rude, Kyouya was greeted by the smiling face of a tall man who looked like he'd lived his entire life in the sun. The contrast between Mister Arcangelo and Mister Ootori was reminiscent of a polar bear and a black bear.

"Welcome, welcome. You must be Tomas! It's an honor to have such a distinguished, business family in our home."

The rest of the family agreed, and Kyouya just rolled his eyes. He knew is father was a two-faced liar. _Well, at least he's convincing…_

"We appreciate your hospitality," Misses Arcangelo said. "Hopefully we will be out of your hair in two weeks."

"There's no rush!"

_Liar_

"You are more than welcome to stay as long as you like!"

_Dirty, liar_

"Please allow me to introduce my family…"

Kyouya was sure he'd be sick if he had to endure another moment of his father's oh-so-obvious plastic smile and rehearsed dialogue.

"And this is my youngest son, Kyouya."

As a Host it was his duty to be charming and kind no matter how annoyed he was; but Kyouya just couldn't find it in himself to play the part. He simply nodded, not speaking a single word.

_If Tamaki ever finds out, I'm a dead man._

"This is my family," Tomas said, stepping slight to the side, and gesturing to each member. "My wife Maria, my two sons Carmine and Antony, and my oldest child and only daughter…Alessandra."

Kyouya's eyes drifted in the direction the man had gestured and were suddenly glued in place. He hadn't expected such a young, beautiful girl. She certainly inherited her mother's looks.

_She really is stunning…but a bit young for me._

He tried to fight it, but it was too late. Unable to stop himself, Kyouya suddenly felt his Host instincts kick in.

"Truly a pleasure, miss," he said coyly, kissing the back of her hand, gently. "Kyouya Ootori, at your service."

The entire air of the room shifted, and the youngest Ootori was sure he heard the two boys growl like rabid Lions.

"Get your paws off our sister, you pervert."

"Boys!" Maria hissed, before practically spitting at them in Italian.

Alessandra blushed, "E-excuse them," she said her cheeks turning a bright pink, refusing to look anywhere but the floor. "They can be a bit…overprotective."

Kyouya smirked, "Not a problem," he assured her, before addressing the boys. "Really, you shouldn't be worried. I was merely being polite."

"YOU CALL THAT POLITE?!"

"What kind of country are we in?" Antony asked his brother, exasperated.

"A delusional one, apparently," Carmine replied.

Suddenly, music started playing through the room. Kyouya felt his father's eyes boring into his skull, as the teen retrieved his cell-phone from his book bag. Suddenly realizing who was calling he tried to act reluctant as he flipped open the phone. Before he could speak, a shrill voice shot from the other end of the line.

_"KYOUYA! IT'S HORRIBLE, TERRIBLE!"_

Cringing, the teen in question jerked quickly away from the speaker, rubbing his now ringing ear. "What is it?" he asked, calmly.

_"Haruhi hasn't spoke to me in almost a week! I don't know what to do!"_

Kyouya sighed, ignoring the harsh looks his father, and brothers, were sending him. "I'll see you in less than two hours," he grumbled, irritably. "Can we just-?"

_"PLEASE!"_

"Tamaki, really, you couldn't have picked a worse time to-,"

_"NO! By then it'll be too late! I have to figure this out now, before I see her at school! You've got to help me, Kyouya!"_

"Had you let me finish," he hissed sharply. He thought for a moment he had heard his friend gulp. "I was going to say, you couldn't have picked a worse time to have a crisis, but nonetheless I'll be over in a few minutes. Now, goodbye."

_"You're the best, Kyouya! Remind me to buy you the nicest, most expensive birthday present I can find!"_

Despite himself the shadow king chuckled before hanging up the phone. Dropping his expression once again he turned back to the group of onlookers, deadpan. He addressed his father, "Tamaki requires my assistance," he said. "I'll ride to school with him."

"Kyouya, you're being rude," his brother growled.

The youngest shot the older a deadly glare, which received an almost inaudible gulp, before turning to the guests with a charming smile. "Please, forgive me," he said. "My friend is having a bit of a meltdown at the moment. I'm afraid I'm the only one who can deal- I mean, help, him."

_No, I really mean deal with him…that idiot_

"Oh, what a loyal friend you are," Maria gushed. "Oh, it's so wonderful to see there are still such wonderful young men in the world!"

If anything, Kyouya's ego was certainly going to enjoy having the Arcangelo family around.

"Yes, well, thank you. Now, I must be going." _There's no telling what that moron will do if I don't get there soon!_

Saying his final goodbyes, Kyouya started to leave.

"Oh, we'll see you later," Carmine said. "Papa has enrolled us in Ouran Academy!"

And so the torture began…


	3. Kaoru's got a crush!

**Chapter: 2**

**Kaoru's got a crush**

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Haruhi sighed, as she entered Music room three knowing full well what would be waiting for her.

Over the last few days, Tamaki had been calling both her cell-phone, and her house, almost four times a day; not to mention the multiple calls to Ranka's work. Why had this been going on? Well, on the last weak of summer vacation, the couple had had an argument-in which Haruhi knew she was wrong, but refused to admit it. So, to avoid the awkward apologies, she had simply stopped taking his calls. But now that school had started again, there would be no more avoiding the situation.

As predicted, the only one who was not present, was herself. She hadn't purposely arrived late, but with all the anxiety she had been feeling her subconscious must have slowed her down.

"Haru-chan!" Honey exclaimed, leaping up from his spot beside Mori. He practically tackled the girl to the ground, as he jumped up to hug her.

"You're late."

Haruhi resisted the urge to bolt from the room, as the face she had been dreading seeing the most looked up from across the room.

"Uh, yeah…I was busy."

"Oh, I see," Tamaki said, rising to his feet.

Haruhi gulped as he neared her. When he was merely inches from her, he stopped, and the other Hosts waited with baited breath.

"Um, Senpei, I-"

Haruhi was cut off buy a bone crushing hug.

"I'm sorry I upset you!" Tamaki told her. "I promise, I'll never do it again!"

Blushing like mad, Haruhi gently pushed the boy off of her, "Look, it wasn't really your fault," she mumbled. "It was stupid anyway…I over reacted."

Knowing that was as close to an apology it was going to get, Tamaki smiled contently.

"Wow, boss," The twins said in unison. "What did you do anyway?"

Haruhi shot them a glare, and they both shrunk.

"Uh, heh, never mind!" Kaoru said, inching away.

"Yeah, forget it!" Hikaru seconded, following the other's lead.

Haruhi rolled her eyes, silently.

"Now, if everyone is finished," Kyouya spoke up. "Perhaps you'd like to know that there are two young foreign exchange students standing outside the door, eavesdropping."

Haruhi stared. _How does he even know that?_

"Mori-senpei, the door!" Tamaki commanded.

The older teen nodded in affirmation, before doing as requested. The door swung open, and two boys came tumbling in.

"May I present, Carmine and Antony Acrangelo, from Italy. They're staying with my family, until their estate is finished."

The boys shot to their feet, putting on the most innocent expressions they could muster. "Sorry, Mister Ootori!"

Snickers sounded through the other club members.

"Mister Ootori?" Tamaki giggled, obviously amused.

Kyouya sent him a sharp look, before addressing the two boys. "Mister Ootori, is my father," he told them. "You can call me Kyouya."

"Hello!" Tamaki greeted. "Welcome to the Host club! My name is Tamaki Suoh, and this is Takashi Morinozuka, Mitsikuni Honinozuka, Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiian, and Haruhi

Fujiko. And, well, you already know Kyouya."

"Tamaki?" Antony asked. "Are you the freak who called Kyouya this morning?"

"Yes, that would be him," the Shadow King replied, smiling. Tamaki shrunk.

The twins gave each other suspiciously, devious looks. Suddenly, they appeared on either side of the brothers. "Well, hello."

"You know," Kaoru started.

"You two aren't bad looking," Hikaru continued.

"Have you ever considered,"

"Using those looks to your advantage?"

"It could be fun…"

"Really fun…"

Haruhi rolled her eyes, once again. "C'mon, you two," she said. "Leave the poor guys alone. They just started school."

The twins appeared on either side of the girl, "We were only trying to recruit new members," they said, innocently.

The soft sound of someone clearing their throat, made the group turn to the door. The form of a young girl, stood anxiously in the doorway. Her head was down, causing her long brown curls to fall around her face like a curtain. Her left arm held her right, as she shifted from foot to foot.

"I-I'm sorry. But, I was just looking for…m-my brothers…"

Her voice was soft and timid, and the others had to strain slightly to hear over the voices of the bustling visitors behind them.

"Alessandra," Kyouya greeted. "Please, come in."

"I…I don't-,"

Carmine and Antony grabbed their sister, dragging her into the room forcefully.

"Hello, princess," Tamaki turned on the charm, leaning down close to her hidden face. "Won't you allow me the privilege of seeing your beautiful face? I'm sure it's mystifying."

SLAM!

Tamaki hit the floor, hard, and Carmine and Antony hovered over him, menacingly.

"Keep you paws off our sister, pervert."

Alessandra growled something in Italian, smacking the two hard on the back of their heads.

"Well, that wasn't very nice," Kaoru said, smirking.

"Not at all."

Surprised, Alessandra finally looked up. "You speak Italian?"

"It's one of the many languages we speak," Hikaru replied, nonchalantly. "Our mother is a fashion designer, so we travel to a lot of different countries, and it's just easier if we can understand what the locals are-," stopping, suddenly, Hikaru turned to his unnervingly silent twin. "Kaoru? Hey, Kaoru!"

_She's so beautiful,_ was the only thing running through Kaoru's head at that moment. Her shiny brown curls reached just passed her shoulders, complimenting her olive skin tone. Her school uniform fit absolutely perfect, and showed off her curved waist. She was the most stunning thing Kaoru had ever seen.

Alessandra must have noticed his intense staring, because she turned a bright shade of pink and ducked her head again. "W-we really should be going. Mama and Papa are expecting us back."

"I'll have the car take you home,' Kyouya offered, walking the siblings out.

SMACK!

"OW!" Kaoru exclaimed. "What the hell, boss?!"

"You call yourself a Host?!" Tamaki demanded. "That was the most pathetic thing I've ever see! You were so obvious!"

Kaoru repressed a blush, "Obvious about what?" he asked, sharply.

"You like her!" the other five replied in unison.

"I do not!"

Hikaru smirked, "Oh yes you do!" he sang. "Kaoru's got a cru-u-sh!"

Kaoru groaned, "I do not!" he insisted. "I just…I just think she's pretty, that's all…"

"You're in love!" Honey teased, dragging out the 'O'.

"Sorry, Kaoru, but I have to agree with the others on this," Haruhi said. "You've got a thing for this girl."

Kaoru groaned. He was about to protest, but a small voice in the back of his mind stopped him before the words could form. He knew they were all right. But, he didn't know a thing about this girl except for: She was staying at Kyouya's, and she was Italian. Other than that she was a complete and total stranger. But, even with that being said, Kaoru decided there really was no denying it.

He was so crushing on Alessandra Arcangelo, a girl he met for two seconds, and couldn't even talk to. Tamaki was right, he really was pathetic.


	4. The new girl has a secret admirer?

**Thanks for the comments guys! They made me smile :D Love you all, and thanks for the follows/favorites! I have more fans for this story than I do for my Teen Titans one, it's AWESOME! **

**Anyway, enjoy! MWUAH!**

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**Chapter: 3**

**The new girl has a secret admirer? **

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Alessandra sighed as she wondered the large Ootori mansion. She had gotten stuck on her homework, and decided a break was in order, so, she took the opportunity to explore, while the house was empty. Kyouya had staid at school with the Hosts, just like he did everyday, and Alessandra wasn't really sure where everyone one else was-probably talking business.

It had been exactly one week since the Arcangelo family had arrived in Japan, and it seemed Alessandra was always being left alone. It was kind of disappointing, being stuck in such a large place alone, with no one to talk to. She hadn't been allowed to bring her dog over, from Italy, so she had become quite lonely. Sure, Kyouya had offered her a place in the Club room, to do homework and relax, so she wouldn't be forced to spend the night alone, but she had refused, and hadn't been back to Music Room three, since that first day.

"Hmm, wonder what this room is," Alessandra muttered to herself, stopping in front of a set of double doors, she hadn't seen before. Cautiously, she pushed one of the doors inward, and peaked inside. It was a Library, and a huge one, at that. It was stunning, and Alessandra couldn't help but gravitate inside.

Shelves, lined with books, were inset along each wall, going from floor to ceiling, and in the middle of the room was an overly large, white, L-shape sofa, and two chairs to match. A desk, with a desktop computer, sat under a large window, between two shelves, and stacked on top of it was a tall pile of fancy, leather bound, novels.

Alessandra gasped despite herself, as she looked around. She knew, she would be spending a lot of time, in this room.

"I see you've found the library."

Letting out a surprised squeak, Alessandra spun around, eyes wide. "K-Kyouya!" she exclaimed, worry shaking her voice. "I-I'm sorry! I know I s-shouldn't have been w-wandering. B-but I got stuck with my homework, and-,"

Kyouya held up his hand, silencing the girl. "It's quite alright, Alessandra," he assured her. "You're more than welcome to explore the house, as long as you don't cause any damage, you can't pay for."

"Th-thank you," Alessandra muttered, mentally cursing her shyness.

"Now, you said something about homework?"

"Um, yes. Math isn't my strongest subject…"

A smile slipped across Kyouya's lips, "Well, would you care for some assistance?"

"R-really?" Alessandra asked, surprised. "I…I mean, I wouldn't want to take you away from your own studies…" Is he really offering to help me?

"It's not a problem. I don't have much, and it's all easy."

Sure she was as red as a tomato, Alessandra nodded, "Then, that would be…n-nice," she said. "Th-thanks."

Kyouya opened the door, and stepped to the side, "After you."

Surprisingly, the experience hadn't been an uncomfortable one, and Alessandra found Kyouya had a way of making the work quite easy. It had taken less than an hour to get everything done, and after her homework was finished, Alessandra staid in the youngest Ootori's bedroom, while he finished his own. She tried to remain silent, as not to disturb his concentration.

Eventually, Alessandra found a book lying on the floor, at the end of the bed, and decided it would be the perfect thing to entertain herself with. Laying down across the mattress, she cracked the book open, and noticed a note, neatly written, in the top corner of the inside cover.

_Kyouya,_

_Happy birthday! I hope you enjoy this, because it's nonrefundable, and quite expensive._

_ -Tamaki._

Alessandra chuckled, despite herself, and Kyouya looked up from his work.

"What?"

"Oh, nothing," the girl replied. "Just reading…"

Kyouya glanced at the book, and smirked knowingly before turning back to his papers. It didn't take long for him to finish and soon he was stuffing everything back into his bag. Once all was put away, he let out a long exhausted sigh.

At that moment, there was a knock on the door, and before either could reply, it swung open.

"Hey, Kyouya, have you-?" Antony froze in the doorway, glancing between his sister and Kyouya rapidly.

"Something you needed?" Kyouya asked, calmly.

"What are you doing in here?" Antony demanded, shooting his sister a disapproving look. "Why are you in here alone with him?!"

Alessandra rolled her eyes, "He was helping me with my homework," she replied. "We were hanging out."

Antony looked skeptical, "Uh-huh," he muttered, unconvinced. "Well, whatever. Here"-he held out a bundle of flowers-"these came for you."

Getting off the bed, Alessandra took the flowers from her brother, who quickly retreated from the room. The flowers were Purple Orchids and baby's breath, mixed together in a bright blue vase.

Kyouya stood, walking over to the girl, to closer examine the plants. "There's a card," he announced, plucking the small white, rectangle from the tines holding it in place. Carefully, his eyes scanned it, before he let out a small chuckle. "It seems you have an admirer…"

"M-me?" Alessandra asked, stunned, as the boy handed the card over. "Oh my god…"

_For Alessandra,_

_You captured my heart, the moment I laid eyes on you. You are beautiful. You are perfection._

Dropping down onto the edge of the bed Alessandra stared at the card, eyes wide, rereading the words over and over. She was shocked to say the least. She had only been at Ouran a week, and hadn't spoken to anyone. Not to mention she wasn't what most would call pretty-short; too many curls; over a size four. How could anyone have a crush on her?

"Well, isn't this an interesting turn of events," Kyouya muttered, as if pondering something.

"What?"

The youngest Ootori, smiled down at the girl, "Oh, nothing. Just thinking out loud!"

Though unconvinced, Alessandra let the matter drop. Besides, there were more important things for her to be worrying about. Like, who this secret admirer was. It had to be someone from her class, but who?

"Kyouya!" a harsh voice called through the door, followed by a hard pounding.

Said teen's expression visibly darkened, and he tried hard not to grimace. The door opened before he had a chance to respond revealing his father. Alessandra shot up from the bed, arms behind her back and her legs pressed together so tightly her ankles felt like they may break, in an attempt to look as modest and inconspicuous, as possible.

"Oh, Miss Arcangelo," the man said, giving the fakest smile either teen had ever seen. "Am I, interrupting something?"

"I-I…I was just l-leaving," Alessandra said, softly. She looked up at Kyouya, quickly, "Th-thank y-you, for h-helping me with m-my homework. I r-really a-appreciate it."

"Anytime."

Alessandra, nodded politely at Mister Ootori, before quickly leaving the room. Being sure the door clicked shut, completely, she ducked around the corner. No she did not considering eaves dropping, especially since Kyouya's father was easily the loudest man, on the planet.

"I told you to be nice, but not this nice!"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh you don't? Well, let me explain! Antony Arcangelo, came bursting into the meeting between myself and his father to announce that you were getting cozy with his sister!"

"I was simply helping her with her homework."

There was silence for a moment, before Mister Ootori spoke again. His voice was softer now, and Alessandra had to move closer to the door, to hear him.

"I knew having that girl here was going to be trouble. Acting so innocent…I'm not fooled. I've done my research, I know the trouble she caused in Italy. She isn't what you'd call 'pure'."

Blood boiling, Alessandra felt angry tears burn her eyes. How dare he accuse her of being un-pure. He didn't know what happened in Italy.

He doesn't know! He'll never know!

She had to tell her father. But, no, she couldn't. This contract with the Ootori company was extremely important. They couldn't afford to lose it, no matter how horrible that monster of a man made Alessandra feel.

She just hoped that Kyouya didn't think poorly of her. For some reason she truly wanted to be his friend. She liked him. He was sweet, and kind; albeit evil, and mischievous. But, then again, something, in the back of her mind, wondered if he was only being so nice to her, because his father had ordered him to. Did Kyouya already think poorly of her? Did he really not like her, at all?

Another reason Alessandra found to hate Mister Ootori: He had brainwashed his sons into being the same kind of monsters he was. He wanted them to grow up to be evil, conniving, narcissistic, egomaniacs. He wanted them to be feared by all around them. Alessandra briefly wondered how evil someone would have to be to wish that upon their own children.

She reached her room, and wasted no time locking herself in, and collapsing onto her bed; her face, buried in the overstuffed pillows. "I can't wait to leave this place, and never come back!"

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**Mkay, so I've been thinking about Hollow Earth's comment, about how she preferred Hikaru and it made me come up with two things..**

**1) I LOVE Hikaru but not sure if I love him more than Kaoru because it just seems like Kaoru is always trying to make his brother happy and doesn't worry at all about himself. That's part of the reason I came up with this, is so Kaoru could catch a break.**

**2) I also realized that Hikaru can't be alone. And if Kaoru has a love interest then that pushes Hikaru out just the tiniest bit...but tiny is still too big. SO! I guess Hikaru needs SOMETHING or SOMEONE to be there...hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.**

**Ugh, what to do, what to do...**

**Anyway! REVIEW BUT DO NOT FLAME! I DO NOT FLAME OTHERS, SO I DO NOT APPRECIATE WHEN OTHERS DO IT TO ME. THANKS AND LOVE YOU LOTS! 3**

**Also, thank you Hollow Earth because I probably would not have come up with that last conclusion without that comment! Oh, and I don't mind the mini bio you had going on there ;) lol!**


	5. Cryptic Letters!

**Hey, guuuyyyysssss! I love reading your comments, seriously, they never fail to make my day a little brighter :)**

**Please enjoy this next chapter, and tell me what you think!**

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**Chapter: 4**

**Cryptic Letters**

* * *

Though the locker room was all but empty, Alessandra quietly walked along the row of lockers, being sure to keep her head down, as to not draw attention to herself. She stopped in front of the locker with her name on it, and carefully opened it up to put her things away.

As the metal door swung open, a note slipped out, and fluttered to the ground. Cautiously, she knelt down, and picked it up. The envelope was a soft pink-her list favorite color-and was sealed with a wax stamp. And though she was a bit hesitant, her curiosity eventually got the better of her, and she opened it.

_Dear, Alessandra,_

_My dearest love, I know I will be seeing you today, but I'm not sure I'll be able to confront you. So, I've decided, if you can guess who I am, I will gladly take you out. _

_When you think you've figured it out, just put a note in your locker. Trust me, I'll find it. And I will tell you, whether you're wrong, or right._

_P.S. I hope you like the Rose…_

Alessandra looked and found beautiful red rose sitting inside. She bit her lip, holding the note and flower close to her heart as the strangest sensation coursed through her body. This had to be what love felt like.

Other girls began to file in trying to get to their lockers, pulling the girl from her daydreaming. Quickly putting the note in her book bag and closing her locker she walked out rose still in hand, toward her class.

"Good morning, Alessandra."

The girl jumped looking over to find Kyouya at her side. "Oh, it's you," she said, relieved. "Good morning."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," Kyouya apologized. "Have I interrupted a deep thought?"

"Oh, no, it's fine," Alessandra assured him. "I wasn't really thinking about anything…"

Kyouya was obviously unconvinced, but didn't press the matter, and instead the pair fell into a comfortable silence. The youngest Ootori did find the situation strange: Being around a young girl he didn't have to impress was a nice change.

As they walked, something caught his eye.

"That's a beautiful rose."

Alessandra blushed, "Oh, yeah, thanks," she muttered. "It was in my locker…"

"Another gift from your admirer?" Kyouya asked.

The Italian nodded, "Yeah, it is. He left me a note as well…he wants me to guess who he is."

"Well, that should be a fun game…"

Alessandra nodded once again, eager to change the subject. "So, you realize your class room is on the other end of the building, right?"

"I'm aware," Kyouya replied. "I actually need to discuss something with Haruhi and the twins, and since you're all in the same class I thought I'd accompany you."

"Oh," was all she could think to say.

As the two reached the class room, Alessandra reached for the door but was beaten to it. She looked up to see Kyouya smiling down at her. She blushed, as he opened the door and stepped to the side to hold it like a gentleman. Alessandra wasn't used to men who weren't related, being so polite to her.

Hearing the door creak, the entire class looked up. Everyone was shocked at the pair striding into the room. Kyouya even helped Alessandra with her chair, before accusing himself to go speak with Haruhi and the twins.

"Psst! Alessandra!" Carmine hissed, kicking his sister's chair. "What gives?!"

"What are you talking about?"

"You and Ootori!" Antony answered for his brother. "Why is he being all nicey-nice?"

Alessandra rolled her eyes, "Because we're friends," she replied, simply. Though to be honest she couldn't really be sure of that. Kyouya was very kind to her, but were they friends?

"Well, I'd best be going," that familiar voice said, as he appeared at the girl's side. "I guess I'll see you three, later."

"Yeah, see you later, Kyouya," Alessandra said, softly.

"See ya, Kyouya!" the boys called in unison, as he left.

* * *

Alessandra could feel the occasional stares, while sitting through the rest of her class. The entire room seemed to be jumping to the same conclusion as her brothers. There was one person however who seemed even more agitated than the rest of the class.

Kaoru Hitachiian had been glaring at her since her arrival. She couldn't help but wonder if there was a little more to his relationship with Kyouya than just friendship, and maybe Kaoru was jealous of her. But even though it wouldn't be at all surprising, Alessandra quickly dismissed that thought. Kaoru was probably just annoyed that Alessandra had allowed Kyouya to do the things he had. Then again, they were apart of the Host Club. Wasn't being gentlemanly sort of their job?

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow," the professor said, as the students began to gather their things.

Alessandra realized she hadn't been paying attention at all, through the entire class. She had been so distracted by the situation with Kyouya, that she hadn't even noticed when the warning chimes went off.

"Alessandra?" Carmine asked. "You ok?"

Mentally shaking herself, the girl nodded, "Fine," she replied, as she stood, and slung her book bag over her shoulder. "C'mon, we should be going."

As the three started out of the room, a familiar pair of voices called them back.

"Oh, Arcangelos!"

Carmine and Antony cringed, as Hikaru and Kaoru appeared in front of them.

"Hello," Hikaru greeted, with the signature Hitachiian smirk. "Kaoru and I were just thinking that maybe you three should come to the club room with us."

"It'll be fun," Kaoru added, sure to keep his eyes on the two boys and off of the girl beside them.

"What do you say?" the twins asked in unison.

Antony and Carmine both shrugged. "Sounds good."

Alessandra simply nodded, keeping her head down. She followed after the boys, sure to keep a safe distance between herself and the redheads. Though she didn't really know them, she felt slightly uneasy around them. Kaoru, especially.

"Oh, yeah, Alessandra!" Carmine said, suddenly stopping to reach into his book bag. "This was in my desk. Someone must have dropped it there by accident. Guess they got the wrong Arcangelo."

The whole group stopped, as Carmine handed his sister an envelope. Alessandra felt her heart skip a beat, as she turned the letter over to reveal the same wax stamp that had been on the other.

Carefully, she popped the seal with her thumb, and pulled the paper out.

_Alessandra,_

_I've been watching you. You're so stunning today, and you seem to be working hard at keeping up your grades. I adore intelligence._

_Just a quick word of advice…don't get to close to Host Club. Trust me, they're nothing but trouble…_

"Who's it from?" Antony asked, as they all began walking again.

Alessandra shook her head, "N-no one," she replied, softly.

The Host club? Trouble? Well that ruled out Kyouya as he admirer, though she hadn't really suspected him before.

As the group finally stepped into Music Room Three, the eyes of the few guests that had arrived early were instantly on them. Alessandra blushed and quickly ducked her head. Spotting Kyouya at a table in the corner she quickly excused herself and made her way to him, taking the seat across.

"I see the twins have finally convinced you to visit us?"

Alessandra sent him a look, "As if," she muttered. "I'm only here because my brother's wanted to come and I can't leave them alone for two seconds."

Kyouya chuckled, "Of course…"

The two fell into a comfortable silence as Kyouya continued his work and Alessandra watched the other club members as they did their jobs. They were all pretty cheesy in her opinion, but obviously the other girls were thoroughly entertained. The Hosts she was most interested in however were the Hitachiians, Kaoru especially. The twin was obviously the younger, and seemed to play the part exceptionally well; weak, sensitive, and timid. But Alessandra couldn't help but think he played it a little too well.

"Hey, Kyouya?"

The youngest Ootori glanced up from his laptop and quirked an eyebrow. "Yes?"

"Do you actually like being a Host?" Alessandra asked.

"I wouldn't say I dislike it," Kyouya replied, looking back down at his screen. "It does have its moments."

Alessandra dropped the subject deciding he probably wouldn't tell her if he actually hated the club. She turned back to the room resuming her observation of the Club.

"Alessandra?"

The girl in question turned back to find Kyouya looking at her seriously. "Yeah?"

"I was wondering…there's a street fair tomorrow not far from here, after school would you like to go with me?"

Somehow suppressing the urge to gawk, Alessandra nodded and smiled. "I'd love to!"

Kyouya returned the smile. "Good."

Out of nowhere, a hand grabbed hold of Kyouya's tie and pulled him out of his chair.

"Come with me."

Alessandra along with the rest of the room, stared as Hikaru all but dragged the older boy from the room.

"What's gotten into him?" Haruhi asked.

"No idea," Kaoru replied. "He just got all angry and red-faced, and then went after Kyouya."

Something that sounded like: "YOU KNOW WHY, YOU DEMON!" suddenly came from behind the door. If they hadn't all been shocked before, they certainly were now.

"Why is Hika-chan so angry at Kyou-chan?" Honey asked. "Did Kyou-chan do something wrong?"

"Alessandra?" Tamaki asked, suddenly. "What exactly were you and Kyouya talking about?"

Alessandra blushed and ducked her face once again. "H-he asked m-me t-to a s-street fair," she replied shyly. "B-but th-that was a-all."

Tamkai smiled, "Oh," he chuckled. "So that's it, then."

"What are you talking about, Senpei?" Haruhi questioned.

Kaoru raised an eyebrow, "Boss?"

"Oh it's nothing to be concerned with," Tamaki assured them all.

No one was convinced but they let the matter drop and went back to their business. All except Kaoru who was not about to let his brother do something as stupid and insane as attempt at bullying the Shadow King, without him. Excusing himself, he ran to join his twin in his dangerous endeavors.

* * *

**Can you tell I had no idea how to end this? lol, sorry.**

**Anyway, besides the crappy ending, I hope it was good! **

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	6. Sort of Dates!

**Heeeeeeeeeeeeeyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy! So I actually sort of hate myself for this chapter, once you read it you'll totally hate me too.**

**But, nonetheless, enjoy it and let me know your thoughts!**

* * *

**Chapter: 5**  
**Sort of dates**

* * *

The end of the next school day finally came, and Alessandra was surprised at how excited she was to spend the afternoon with Kyouya. She gathered her things from her desk and headed for the door of her classroom as soon as the Teacher excused them.

"Hey, Alessandra," Haruhi said, as they walked to the door.

"Oh, hi, Haruhi," Alessandra smiled, "are you headed to the Club room?"

Haruhi sighed, her shoulders slouching. "Unfortunately," she replied.

"Well, I wish I could join you. No doubt having another girl around that you don't have to entertain would be nicer…"

"Wha-?! You know I'm a girl?"

Alessandra giggled, "It's not hard to tell," she admitted. "The way you walk, your slender body…you're not exactly masculine, no matter what those boys force you into wearing."

"Wow, you must be pretty observant," Haruhi said.

"Let's just say I've dealt with enough boys to know the difference."

There was a strange emotion in the girls tone that Haruhi couldn't quite make out. It sounded sad, bitter almost.

The two finally reached the Music room to find Kyouya waiting just outside the door. They both greeted him.

"Hello. Alessandra are you ready to go?"

She nodded, "Ready."

Kyouya smiled, "Well then, shall we?"

Haruhi watched them go, knowing full well there was something up the Shadow King's sleeve. He wouldn't just ask his friend's crush out on a date without having some hidden agenda. Haruhi just hoped he knew what he was doing.

"Did you let the others know you were leaving?" Alessandra asked, as she followed Kyouya outside to the awaiting car.

The boy smirked, "I figured it better not to tell them," he replied.

"Mister Ootori," the driver said, giving a respectful bow and opening the car door.

Alessandra slipped in and slid across the seat to make room for Kyouya. She had to admit, the thought of pending an entire day with the youngest Ootori was really quite exciting.

* * *

Tamaki crouched silently behind a hedge, watching his best friend charm his date. He had to admit he was impressed with the level of skill the older boy possessed, but that was not the reason he and the rest of the Hosts were following the pair. No, they were there for a much more important reason.

"Senpei, don't you think this is a little bit much?" Haruhi asked, lounging on a bench.

"We need to make sure this goes well!" Tamaki replied. "It needs to be absolutely perfect, and even thought I trust Kyouya's abilities even he is capable of making mistakes!"

Kaoru mentally winced, "Why are so admit about this going well?"

"Because, Kyouya deserves to have someone like Alessandra."

"C'mon, boss, Kyouya-senpei can handle this without us!" Hikaru groaned. "Can we go home now?"

"Shhh! They're laughing! Why are they laugh?! I'm gonna get closer!"

Tamaki crouched low, jumping from hedge, to bush, to tree, in an attempt to get close enough to eavesdrop. Haruhi ran a hand down her face, forcing herself to remain seat and not grab the boy by the collar and drag him home. Honey sat on Mori's shoulders, laughing at the younger blonde's actions.

Standing in their usual pose, the twins, like Haruhi, watched with marked annoyance. Kaoru especially was less than impressed with their leader. He hadn't even wanted to come on their little "field trip" but Hikaru had been interested to see what was going on and Kaoru couldn't just leave his brother, so against his better judgment he went along-a decision he was now thoroughly regretting. Kaoru didn't think watching Kyouya with Alessandra would bother him so much, but with every second that passed he was going more and more insane.

"C'mon, boss, nothing exciting is gonna happen," the younger twin tried to reason. "Let's just leave…"

But Tamaki was too far away to hear. Seeing Kyouya and Alessandra sit down on a bench under a cherry blossom, Tamaki leapt behind an ice cream cart.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" Kyouya asked.

Alessandra smiled, "Yes, very much," she replied. "I'm really glad I came today."

Kyouya returned the smile, "As am I."

Blushing, Alessandra looked down at her slowly melting ice cream cone. "Hey, Kyouya, can I ask you something?"

"Of course. What is it?"

"I…" she bit her bottom lip, her shyness threatening to overpower her. "I-I was w-wondering…are we…f-friends?"

Kyouya watched her for a moment, his eyes taking in her full appearance. She was frustrated, but with herself or him, he couldn't quite tell. Her fingernails scratched against the cone of her ice cream, as she impatiently waited for a response to her question. Kyouya decided quickly that, when nervous, she was in fact extremely cute.

"I would say we are, wouldn't you?"

Alessandra looked up, her eyes wide with mixed emotions. Slowly, a wide grin crept it's way across her face and she giggled. "Yes, yes I would!"

"Well then," Kyouya looked away, "that's settled."

She didn't really know why she did it-an impulse caused by how ecstatic she was feeling, perhaps? But without thinking, Alessandra stretched up and kissed the boy's cheek. "Thank you, Kyouya. Today was really awesome."

Tamaki smiled contently, before abandoning his task to return to the awaiting group a few feet away.

"What happened, Tama-chan?!" Honey asked, bouncing animatedly. "We saw Alessa-chan kiss Kyou-chan!"

"She was just-"

"Hey, where's Kaoru?" Haruhi asked suddenly.

Surprised, the group looked round.

"Kaoru? Kaoru!" Hikaru called. "What the hell? I didn't even hear him leave!"

No one was really sure whether they were shocked by the fact Kaoru had disappeared, or the fact Hikaru hadn't noticed.

* * *

Kaoru finally stopped running and sunk against the trunk of a tree. His uniform caught the bark and he heard the fabric snag, but at that moment he couldn't have cared less. Nothing matter at that moment-not the snag, not the sweat rolling down his temple, not even the ach the running had caused in his feet. The only thing that mattered, the only thing he was even able to fully register, was the agonizing feeling in his chest.

The feeling was nothing he had ever felt before. It hurt worse than anything he could ever remember experiencing. It was like someone had run him threw with a dull, barbed blade and was tugging and wiggling it in an attempt to remove it from his chest. The pain was so intense, Kaoru thought he may be sick.

"KAORU!"

The familiar voice of his brother pulled the teen in question from his thoughts, but he couldn't find it in himself to acknowledge his presence. Resting an arm on one knee, Kaoru let his head fall back against the tree trunk as he looked up at the bright blue sky above him. It didn't seem fair for the sky to be so bright and beautiful, when he felt so miserable.

"Kaoru, damn, I've been looking everywhere for you!" Hikaru said, anger lacing his tone. "What the hell happened?"

Kaoru didn't respond, he simply blinked and continued to watch the clouds move and reshape.

"Wait, Kaoru, have you been crying?"

This caught the younger's attention, and he slowly reached up to touch his cheek. Surprised to find it damp, and even more surprised to feel a fresh drop land on the tip of his finger, Kaoru finally looked at his brother.

"Would you look at that…?" he chuckled in a strange, non-Kaoru way, "guess I am."

Hikaru looked at his twin with obvious concern. "Kaoru, what's wrong?"

"What does it matter?" Kaoru asked, slumping a little lower. "I'll get over it eventually."

"Kaoru-?"

"You'd better get back to the others. I'll just meet you back home."

Hikaru gave him a firm look, "Not until you talk to me," he said. "I won't just leave you here like this."

Kaoru looked his older brother dead in the eye, conveying his feelings without a single word. A lone tear slid down his cheek and dropped from his jaw.

With a sigh, Hikaru took his place beside Kaoru and slung an arm around him. "I'm sorry, Kaoru…"

Laying his head against his twin's shoulder, Kaoru forced back another round of tears. "Is this how it feels when you see Tamaki with Haruhi?"

"This is _exactly_ how it feels..."

* * *

**You understand why I hate myself? Yeah...**

**I'm sorry Kao-chan, but I had to do it!**

**Ugh! Do you ever write something and by the time your done you just want to jump into the story and give the character a hug and a cookie?**

**Anyway, let me know your thoughts, BUT PLEASE DON'T RIP ME TO SHREDS! **

**REVIEW NICELY!**


	7. After School Conversations

**Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy! **

**Here's the next chapter! Sorry that it's so slow...**

* * *

**Chapter: 6**  
**After School Conversations**

* * *

"My, my, Kyouya, you took her out on a date?"

The teen in question rolled his eyes, "I wouldn't exactly call it a date," he said. "Fuyumi, how many times do I have to ask you not to do that?"

Clothes were half hanging from drawers and scattered around the room. Though this was a usual occurrence after school, it was never any less annoying.

"You don't like her do you?" Fuyumi asked, ignoring her brother's question. "Because things could get awkward with her living under the same roof and all."

"First of all, they're leaving Saturday," Kyouya replied. "And second, I don't like her. Not like that. Besides the whole thing was Tamaki's idea…"

"But you do like her…"

Sighing deeply, Kyouya looked up from his homework and turned to face his sister. "She's intriguing."

Fuyumi gave him a puzzled look. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"To be honest, even I'm not completely sure what I mean. She's just…different. Something about her is strange, like she's not telling us everything. Like she's hiding something…"

"And what do the rest of the boy's think of her?"

Kyouya smirked, "Well Tamaki tells me Kaoru had a bit of a melt down after Alessandra kissed me-,"

"She kissed you?!"

"Calm down, it was only on the cheek," Kyouya assured her. "And it was more of a thank you then anything. Anyway, apparently Kaoru ran off and it took everyone an hour to find him…"

Fuyumi smiled, "So he's in love, huh?"

"So it would seem."

A knock on the door pulled the siblings from their conversation.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Alessandra said, stopping in the doorway. "I-I didn't m-mean t-to interrupt, I-I'll j-just come b-back later.

"Don't be ridiculous!" Fuyumi said. "Come in, Alessandra. Kyouya was just telling me about your date."

"Fuyumi," Kyouya growled warningly, shooting his sister a dark glare.

"Oh, excuse me, your 'not date'."

Alessandra blushed, "Yes, it was most definitely not a date…"

"Was there something you needed?" Kyouya asked, eager to change the subject.

"Um, I got stuck," Alessandra replied, sheepishly. "I thought if you were done with your work, you might be willing to help me."

Kyouya smiled, "Well then let's see it."

Fuyumi watched as Alessandra explained where and why she was stuck, and was surprised to see how comfortable she was. Normally the Italian was almost painfully shy and would either speak very little or not at all, and she never looked anyone in the eye. But as she observed, Fuyumi noticed how Alessandra would verbally repeat each step Kyouya gave to her and when finished with the problem look to him for approval, and when it was finally given she would beam like she had just received an award. It amazed Fuyumi how her brother could have such a powerful effect on people.

After about thirty minutes, Alessandra finally closed her book and stood from the table. "Thank you, Kyouya," she said with a smile. "You're a life saver!"

Kyouya chuckled, "You're very welcome, my dear."

"Goodnight, Alessandra," Fuyumi said as the younger girl began to leave.

"Goodnight!"

"I certainly won't complain if you marry her…"

"Fuyumi!"

The older sibling laughed at her brother's annoyance. "Oh, I'm sorry, Kyouya!" she said. "I just think the way you two interact is adorable!"

Kyouya sighed, "We're friends. I don't act any differently around her, then I would Tamaki."

Fuyumi gave him a look, "Kyouya, if you acted that way with Tamaki, would have to question your lifestyle choice."

"Would you please go to your own room?"

"Oh, don't be mad. It's your own fault for being so darn sweet, y'know."

Kyouya rolled his eyes, pulling his black book from his school bag.

"Oh, fine, I'll leave," Fuyumi said, getting to her feet. "Don't stay up too late, you have school tomorrow and we both know what happens when you don't get enough sleep."

Kyouya started to respond but stopped. She did have a point. Sighing, Kyouya glanced at the clock across the room and quickly calculated how many hours of sleep he would get if he went to bed right then. Staying awake for at least a couple of hours more wouldn't hurt...

* * *

**So...once again with the terrible ending, SHEESH!**

**Anyway, I've been watching Ouran Panels from the different Anime Cons, and most of just been Todd Haberkorn (cuz he's my favorite voice actor!) or Todd and Vic...let me tell you guys, if you haven't watched those two on a panel together you are seriously missing out. They are HILARIOUS when they get together. I mean, Todd alone will make you laugh until you cry, but seriously you put them both together and you end up laughing so hard it hurts. I can't stress enough the reasons you should watch them. GO TO YOUTUBE AND LOOK UP THEIR PANELS!**

**So, back to the fic...Hope you guys enjoyed. It was kinda boring, huh? Well, I felt like I needed to put Fuyumi in there. She's so under appreciated...plus I just watched "And so Kyouya met him," which is my favorite episode so I felt like some elements of it needed to be slipped into the story :)**

**Ok, now to conclude this extra long A/N, I wanna know what your favorite episode is! Let me know, so I can go watch and try to pull out some inspiration for chapters 9 - 11 (I already have 7 - 8 written up). Please and thank you, lovelies!**

**REVIEW!**


	8. The hoax revealed!

**This chapter...I'm so disappointed in myself it's pathetic. Like...this is really my least favorite chapter... *sigh***

**Well, try to enjoy it...**

* * *

**Chapter: 7  
The Hoax revealed!**

* * *

The next morning Kyouya left before the Arcangelos, hoping to catch Tamaki before classes started. He _needed_ to talk to him. The school was practically empty when he finally arrived and went inside. Hurrying down the locker rows he was relieved to find exactly the person he was looking for.

"Oh, good morning, Kyouya," Tamaki greeted, as he heard the other boy approach. "Is something the matter? You look frustrated."

Kyouya leaned against the lockers, "We have a problem," he said.

Tamaki held up his finger, as he quickly checked around each corner to make sure no one was there to listen in. Returning to his friend, he lowered his voice. "What's up?"

"I got a phone call from Hikaru this morning," Kyouya said, reaching into his pocket and dialing voicemail. "I didn't hear it ring so I wasn't able to asnwer, but he left a message…"

Tamaki took the phone and pressed it too his ear.

_"Well I certainly hope you're happy with yourself. Kaoru is absolutely refusing to go to school today. You should be real proud."_

The message ended and Tamaki handed back the phone. "Is this all because of yesterday?"

Kyouya nodded, "I would assume so, yes."

Tamaki thought for a moment. "Maybe we need to…set them up or something. That would make Kaoru feel better, wouldn't it?"

"Do you really think he'll fall for that? Kaoru isn't an idiot, and neither is Hikaru."

"We'll just have to try!" Tamaki said, dramatically, smacking the side of his fist against his palm. "Our family is crumbling, Kyouya, we can't just sit by and do nothing!"

Kyouya sighed. _I should have just handled this myself…_

"You get Alessandra alone, and Haruhi and I will handle the twins."

"The two of us being alone is what started this whole mess in the first place," Kyouya reminded. "Do you really think Kaoru catching us together again is going to solve the problem?"

Tamaki looked at him seriously, grasping is shoulders. "Trust me, Kyouya," he said. "I know what I'm doing!"

_Why do those words always make me want to slug him?_

* * *

Kyouya moved swiftly down the hallway toward his destination, weaving in and out of students and occasionally pushing people out of the way. He had absolutely no time to wait. After Haruhi had called and explained things to Hikaru, the older twin agreed to help get Kaoru to school, and in a few moments their class would be letting out and Kyouya had to be there the second the door opened.

Finally reaching the class room, he waiting until the bell rang and leaned casually against the door frame. Student after student filed out of the room, whispering something about he and Alessandra.

Kyouya sighed,_ Great, now everyone thinks we're dating._

Finally, Alessandra exited the room with Haruhi. Kyouya smiled at the girls and Haruhi backed off a bit.

"Oh, Alessandra, I just remembered I promised Tamaki I'd meet him right after class let out. I'll meet you later, ok?"

Alessandra smiled, "Alright. Bye, Haruhi!"

"Would you mind coming with me?' Kyouya asked, as soon as he saw the twins walk out the door. "I found something you may be interested in."

"Sorry, Kyouya, I…I can't."

The boy blinked. Damn, this figures. "Is something the matter?"

Alessandra shook her head, biting her bottom lip in a shy way. "Actually, something awesome happened. My admirer left another note…he wants to meet me at the lockers."

"Alessandra, I really think-,"

"Sorry, Kyouya, gotta go!"

The boy slammed his forehead against the doorframe, as the girl went running off. "For once, can't something just be easy?"

"Kyouya, I heard," Hikaru said, as he rushed up to the older student. "I just texted Tamaki-senpei…what do we do?"

Kyouya was about to sigh and make some snide remark, when something occurred to him. "Get Kaoru, and follow me. Now."

"Hey, Kaoru!" Hikaru called across the hall where is brother way waiting.

The younger twin fell into step with the other boys as they started walking. Kyouya led them swiftly toward the lockers. Alessandra had said her admirer would be meeting her. If he could scare whoever the kid was off, then Tamaki's plan could still work. He just hoped he got there before anything else happened. As they neared the row Alessandra's locker resided in, they suddenly realized there was laughter coming from it-male laughter.

"I can't believe you actually fell for all of this!" a boy said. "You actually thought you had an admirer?"

"Really, how desperate are you?!" another teased. "Man, this is just too good!"

Kyouya felt his blood boil. "Hikaru."

The twin nodded in understanding, "Got it," he said, pulling his cell phone from his pocket.

Kyouya took a step forward, but Kaoru stepped around him and into the isle. The bullies slowly regained their composure and looked up at the two who had just appeared.

"Hey, Hitachiian, Ootori, how goes it?"

Kaoru glared, "Ichigo, Hichiro, what did you do?" he demanded.

The boy rolled his eyes, "Oh, we were just having a little fun," he said. "No harm, no foul."

Both hosts looked down to Alessandra, who was crumpled on the floor sobbing out of pure embarrassment, and glared back up at the two boys.

"No harm, hmm?" Kyouya said, darkly.

"Oh, get over it," Hichiro told him. "It's not our fault the bitch fell for it! Seriously, how pathetic do you have to be to fall for something so stupid?"

SLAM!

Carmine and Antony had appeared seemingly out of nowhere, and had both boys pined against the lockers. They spat Italian curses at the bullies in unison, and the Hosts were suddenly very happy they couldn't understand the language.

"We're not afraid of you!" Ichigo said, confidently.

"Yeah!" Hichiro agreed.

Antony smirked, "Do you guys know what we were known for in Italia?"

Carmine copied his brother's expression, "Our national Junior Heavy-Weight Champion tittles."

The bullies looked at each other, eyes wide. The brothers laughed, as they dragged the two around the corner. "No, no! We're sorry! C'mon, let us go!"

It was then that the other Hosts appeared.

Haruhi rushed to Alessandra's side, pulling her shaking form into a tight hug.

"I'm so stupid!"

"You're not stupid," Haruhi told her. "Those guys are just jerks."

Honey set Usa-chan down next to the girls, and pushed up his sleeves, "Excuse us," he said. "Takashi!"

Mori nodded, "Right."

The two disappeared around the corner, and Carmine and Antony soon returned looking thoroughly satisfied. The sound of voices begging for mercy reached the group, followed by a blood curdling scream.

"Kaoru," Hikaru said softly, noticing the way his twin's muscles had tensed. "Honey-senpei and Mori-senpei have those jerks covered…do something."

Cautiously, Kaoru stepped toward the girl, crouching in front of her. Haruhi noticed and stood, taking her place beside Tamaki.

"Those guys are just immature.'

Alessandra ran a hand through her hair, pushing it from her face. "I should have known. No one would ever actually like me like that. I'm the immature one."

Kaoru bit his lip, glancing up at Tamaki and Haruhi who urged him to go on. He took a deep breath, "I like you…like that."

Slowly, Alessandra looked up. A strange feeling rushed through her stomach as her eyes met his. Kyouya had to hold Carmine and Antony back, but Alessandra hardly noticed. In fact, she hardly notice anyone. It was like they were the only two people in the world. It was in that moment Alessandra realized she had never taken the time to actually look at the youngest twin; _really_ look. Sure she had glanced at him in class and watched he and Hikaru at club meetings, but she had never been face to face and truly just _looked._

"Kaoru…I-,"

"These guys have something to say," Honey said cutting the girl off as he and his cousin reappeared.

He jerked his thumb toward the boys now in Mori's grip.

"Go on," Mori said, shaking them both.

"We're sorry!" they said in unison.

"We won't ever do it again!" Ichigo insisted. "Please just let us go!"

Mori looked down at Honey for approval. When the smaller boy nodded, he dropped them to the ground.

Hichiro glared as he pulled himself up to his feet, wiping the blood from his chin with his fist. "Little bitch…"

Kaoru stood and threw a punch, hitting Hichiro square in the jaw.

Hikaru's eyes were wide as he watched the scene unfold. He had never seen this side of his twin, he didn't even know the younger was capable of such anger. "Kaoru…?"

"Let's go," Kyouya said, quickly checking around to make sure there was no one else coming. "We need to get out before anyone else shows up."

Carmine and Antony were at their sister's side in a breath, as she stood. They put their arms around her protectively, leading her out to the main hall.

"Kyouya, would you have the car take her back to the house?" Antony asked.

"Yes, of course."

"I'm fine," Alessandra protested. "I don't need-,"

Carmine silenced her with a look, "Alessandra, you're going home," he told her sternly. "No argument."

Defeated, Alessandra nodded silently. Her eyes traveled to the youngest Hitachiian, before swiftly going to the floor. A deep blush took over her cheeks, and she tried to fight off the swarm of butterflies fluttering into her stomach.

What was going on?

* * *

**Ugh! I'm so annoyed!**

**Anyway, I know it isn't good, so don't flame me just to say so...**

**Reviews are always appreciated, however.**


	9. Home Sweet Home!

**Hey, guys and gals! This chapter is better than the last one I PROMISE! I actually really enjoyed this one and found it quite easy to write! I've bee told that if you struggle to write a chapter, chances are your heart just isn't in it, so I guess my heart must really be in this one!**

**So, everyone who reads...enjoy! K' I'm done bothering you now!**

* * *

**Chapter: 8**  
**Home Sweet Home!**

* * *

"Well, it was a pleasure having you here," Mister Ootori said, giving that plastic smile that made Kyouya's natural urge to slug the man that much stronger. "I hope we'll be seeing more of each other in the future."

"Well, with how well our children have been getting along, I'm sure we will," Tomas said, shaking the man's hand. "I'm happy to have met all of you, really."

Kyouya also shook Mister Arcangelo's hand, but instead of plastic, gave a genuine smile. "I'm sure I speak for my entire family when I say the feeling is mutual." he could feel the sideways glance his father was sending him, but pointedly ignored it.

"Goodbye, Kyouya!" the boys said in unison.

"It's not really goodbye, you know," Alessandra interjected. "We'll see him at school every day."

Both brothers brightened at the thought.

Though Kyouya hadn't spent much time with the boys, they had warmed to him eventually. "Yes, that's right. And hopefully you two will continue coming to Club meetings? I don't know about the others, but Hikaru seems to enjoy having you around."

"Well, Alessandra would have to come with us, obviously," Carmine said, resting an elbow on his sister's shoulder. "She's sort of our keeper, y'know."

"Oh, shut-up," Alessandra said, pushing the boy away. "Besides, I'll have to go visit the Club every once in while…who else is going to help me with my homework?"

Kyouya chuckled lightly, "Right," he said, holding out his hand. "Well, the house will be quiet empty without you three."

Alessandra eyed the hand as if it had made some sort of insulting gesture, before pushing it away and engulfing the Shadow King a tight hug. Surprised, Kyouya stiffened for a moment, before hugging back. As the two parted, they smiled at one another.

"Alright, kids, let's go!" Maria called from the limo. "We need to get there before the delivery truck!"

The siblings did as instructed, and quickly made their way to the awaiting car. Throwing their bags in the trunk, they slipped in. Kyouya watched as they drove away, unsure of why he had such a feeling of loss.

* * *

The drive was longer than Alessandra had anticipated, and she quickly realized the two homes were not within walking distance. Well, there went her plans of dropping by on occasion. Maybe she could get the driver to take her? But on the same note Kyouya may get annoyed with her for showing up on his doorstep. Alessandra mentally sighed, she couldn't believe how annoyed thinking about her situation was making her. She had wanted to leave that house, hadn't she?

As the car stopped, Alessandra was the first one to get out. Looking up at the mansion, she gasped, amazed. It was absolutely stunning. Grand archways, turrets, arched windows and doors, all in beautiful stone. In the center of the tile driveway was a large stone fountain, adorned by a single cherub with his face tipped to the sky, playing a horn. And it was all surrounded a rod iron fence, covered in ivy.

"Papa, it's like home," Alessandra said, tears welling in her eyes as she turned to her father.

Tomas smiled at his daughter, lovingly. "I couldn't have you all getting homesick, now could I?"

The three siblings grinned bright at their parents, before rushing inside to find their bedrooms. The interior was equally as beautiful as the exterior, and Alessandra couldn't help but to be reminded of her home in Italy.

"Alessandra, c'mon!" Antony called in Italian. "You must come quickly!"

Looking up to the second floor landing, she smiled and quickly rushed up the stairs. Her brothers led her down the hall to the very last door and slowly pushed it open.

"We thought you should have this one," Carmine said. "Go look."

Setting her bags down just inside the door, Alessandra walked around the room, carefully examining every last detail of her new surroundings. A large, four poster bed was pushed head against the wall, directly across from a set of beautiful double doors. Two floor to ceiling bookshelves were inset into the wall on either side of the bed, and pushed under a huge window was a beautifully designed Cherry-wood desk. Making her way to the double doors, she pulled them open to reveal a terrace overlooking Japan.

"Wow," she breathed, stepping up to the parapet to look out. "This is so beautiful."

"We remembered you had a terrace in Italia," Carmine told her. "So we thought this would be the perfect fit for you."

Turning back she hugged her brothers. "Thank you."

* * *

That night, Alessandra leaned against the parapet, teacup in hand, looking up at the stars. She took in a deep breath of the cool, midnight air and closed her eyes, letting herself imagine for a moment that she was back in Italy, with her cat beside her on the stone wall and the family's beautiful Greyhound lying protectively at her feet. She pictured the two-mile gravel driveway leading up to the Arcangelo Villa, the large pool with a manmade waterfall, and the beautiful daisies that grew strong and tall in her personal garden.

A single tear slipped down her cheek as she opened her eyes and was forced to realize she was still in Japan. Her father had built the mansion to keep them all from getting homesick, but to Alessandra it only made the feeling worse. She wanted to go back, more than words could describe, but there was no chance of that happening any time soon. The family had been told that they were too remain in Japan, and may only go back to Italy for holidays. But only a few days out of the year wasn't enough for her. No, Alessandra wanted to be back full time; she wanted to go and never come back. It was selfish, but she silently prayed the company would tank in Japan, forcing them to return home. She didn't know how much longer she could last.

But then there was the thought of school, and the new friends she had made. Haruhi, Kyouya; they were wonderful people and she loved them both dearly, she had even begun looking forward to accompanying her brother to Host Club meetings, just so she would have a chance to hang out with them in a more relaxed setting than home or class. Alessandra didn't make friends easily, so finding more than one, in a new country, at a new school, was an incredible accomplishment.

The thought of Ouran and the Host Club brought back the previous day's events, and she cringed. Had the story of what happened, gotten around the school? What would happen when she arrived on Monday? Dwelling on it only made her head hurt, and she tried to push it out. But what about Kaoru?  
As the memory of the youngest Hitachiian passed through Alessandra's mind, a warm blush rose through her cheeks, painting them a soft pink. This was the one thing she had been trying not to think about. It wasn't that she was mad, or embarrassed by what Kaoru had done, it was just that she had no idea how she was supposed to react. And then as she was leaving, when she had looked at him, that feeling that had manifested itself and had yet to go away-god, what was it? And why was it so strong?

Letting out an exasperated sight, Alessandra turned and made her way back into her bedroom. Setting her teacup on the bedside table, she slipped between the silk sheets and reached up to turn out the light. As she began to turn the switch on the small table lamp, a thought popped into her head and she instead reached for her cell phone. Glancing at the clock, she sent a quick text.

_He'll still be awake,_ she thought to herself. _It's not even two-AM yet_.

After a minute or so, she got a reply.

_Still up. Miss me already?_

Alessandra rolled her eyes, as she started to type. _Yeah, no. I need Haruhi's address. _She pressed send.

A few seconds passed, before the phone dinged. _What makes you think I have it?_

_Cuz ur u…_ She replied.

Another ding. Well, you would be correct._ I'll have to go through the books, but I have it somewhere. I'll send it to you when I find it._

_Thnx, Kyouya._

Rolling onto her side, Alessandra returned her phone to it's place on the table and turned out the light.

Tomorrow she would talk to Haruhi, if anyone would know how to deal with this sort of problem it would be her.

* * *

**SOOOOOOOOOO, please let me know what you thought. You're opinion is what keeps me going!**

**MWUAH! KISS KISS!**

***Voice somewhere in the distance* Fall in love!**

**Shut-up, you!**

**Anyway, thanks for reading guys!**


	10. Weekend Frustrations!

**HEEEEEYYYYY TWO IN ONE DAY I'M ON A ROLL!**

**So, hope everyone likes this! MWUAH!**

**And thanks for the comments on the last chapter! May the comments for this one be equally as wonderful!**

**Also, sorry if the last bit seems a little weird and out of place... 0.o It popped into my head and I had to add it, alright?!**

* * *

**Chapter: 9**  
**Conflictions!**

* * *

Warm sunshine casting through the bedroom window rested against Haruhi's face, pulling her gently from sleep and back into reality. Eyes fluttering open, she smiled ever so slightly at the small bird perched on the windowsill looking at her through the glass. Continuing to look around, she saw the multiple textbooks and used pencils on the floor and deduced that she must have fallen asleep studying. A yawn escaped her lips as she started to sit up, only to find she couldn't move.

"What the-?" looking down, she quickly registered a pair of arms wrapped firmly around her waist.

Carefully turning around, Haruhi was met by the peacefully sleeping face of her boyfriend. She was about to freak out, when she remembered the only reason the blonde was there was because Ranka had been working late and Tamaki had needed help studying for some World History test. Smiling softly, Haruhi reached up with one hand and gently brushed the stray hair from the boy's face. He really did look quiet peaceful when he slept, and even more charming than usual. Maybe it was because, for once, he wasn't being loud and over dramatic?

Tamaki hummed lightly at the touch, and slowly opened his eyes. "Morning," he said, groggily.

"Morning, senpei," Haruhi said, her smile widening.

Tamaki returned the smile, leaning forward to place a small kiss to the girl's forehead. "I don't suppose we could just stay here for a while?"

"If you want to be caught by my dad, then by all means…"

Yelping, Tamaki released his hold and all but fell out of bed. "Right! He'll be home soon!" he flipped out, retrieving his phone from his pocket to call for a car.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

"Gah! He's already here!"

Haruhi rolled her eyes, her usual annoyance quickly returning. "That's not dad," she assured him, walking out to get the door. "He wouldn't knock…he has a key."

"Oh, right…"

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes again, Haruhi pulled the door open and was met by a very surprising sight. "Alessandra?"

The Italian smiled, "Hi, can I come in?"

"Uh…yeah, sure…" Stepping aside, she allowed the other girl entrance. "Sorry it's kind of a mess, I wasn't expecting-,"

"Alright, I'm off!" Tamaki announced, appearing from the bedroom. "I'll see- Alessandra?"

"Hi, senpei," the girl in question said, waving weakly. "Sorry, Haruhi, I didn't realize you were with Tamaki, I'll just come back later."

Haruhi caught the girl's arm, "No, you can stay," she told her. "Tamaki-senpei was just leaving…"

"Yeah, right," the blonde laughed nervously, "not that I had to leave. It's not like I'm trying to hide from Ranka-san or anything like that!"

Repressing the overwhelming urge to smack the boy, Haruhi simply gave him a look.

"Ok, well, bye!"

The door slammed shut, and Haruhi sighed deeply. "Anyway, did you need something, Alessandra?" she asked.

"Oh, well, yeah, kind of," Alessandra replied, turning pink. "It's just…you were there the other day, when Kaoru…you know…"

"Told you he liked you…?"

"Um, yeah. I was just wondering…what you thought I should do…"

Haruhi led the other girl into the living room, and gestured for her to sit down. "Look, Alessandra, I'm flattered that you came to me with your problems," she said. "But surely there must be someone more fit to help you than me."

"You're the only friend I have here that is a girl," Alessandra told her. "Besides, you of all people should understand how I feel."

"Me?"

Alessandra looked down at the table, "I don't know how I feel about him…I've hardly said two words to him in all the time I've been here. I feel horrible, because I want to say I feel the same, but I don't know if I can…"

Haruhi reached across the table, setting her hand atop the other girl's comfortingly. "I can't help you figure out how you feel about him," she said. "But I can say this…if you do like him, you need to tell him before he gets away. Because, I can tell you right now, Kaoru his one of the best people I've ever met and if you let him slip, you'll never find another guy like him."

It was then that the front door opened, and Ranka stepped inside. He looked exhausted from work, but when he spotted Alessandra he instantly brightened. "Oh, well who do we have here?"

"Dad, this is Alessandra," Haruhi said. "Alessandra, this is my dad."

"Oh, you're the foreign girl Haruhi told me about!" Ranka said brightly. "It's a pleasure to meet you!

And it's an even greater pleasure to see Haruhi making some girl friends. You know I worry about her hanging out with all those boys all the time…especially that idiot of a boyfriend."

"Dad!"

"Yes, sorry, sweetheart. I'm sure if you are willing to give him the time of day there must be something useful about him."

Haruhi sighed, rolling her eyes. "Anyway, like I said, Alessandra," she said, turning back to the girl. "I can't help you figure out your feelings. I guess this is just something you'll have to figure out on your own."

Nodding, Alessandra stood. "Thanks anyway, Haruhi."

"No problem," she stood and walked the girl to the door, "oh, but, Alessandra, between you and me I think you should give him a chance. Like I said, Kaoru's one the best people I know…you wouldn't regret it."

"I'll think about it."

As the Italian left, Ranka sent his daughter a questioning look. "What was that about?" he asked.

Haurhi shook her head, "It involves the Host Club…you don't wanna know."

Ranka was about to respond, but the teen was already heading to her bedroom. Sighing, he went to the kitchen to make a quick snack before he went to take a nap. As he walked over to the sink to fill a cup of water, something caught his attention.

"Haruhi! Why are their two sets of dirty dishes in the sink? WAS HE IN THE HOUSE WHILE I WAS GONE?! HARUHI!"

* * *

Tamaki sat silently across from the Shadow King, watching him as he wrote some nonsense down in his notebook. Tamaki had been in that exact spot for almost fifteen minutes now; he hadn't moved once since he had arrived from Haruhi's, and his eyes never fell from the hole he was currently burning into his friend's forehead.

"Tamaki, my answer remains unchanged," Kyouya said, matter-of-factly.

The blonde groaned. "But, Kyouya!" he whined. "I promise it'll just be ten minutes, tops! Please!"

"Tamaki, the last time you wanted to drag me out to some Commoner hotspot, you ended up leaving me on a bench, I was forced to eat pure grease, and you had to fork over quite a bit of many to repay Haruhi. So, for the hundredth time…I'm not going with you."

"Yeah that stuff happened but there was some good, too!"

Kyouya looked up and quirked an eyebrow skeptically. "Oh?"

"Yeah! I found Antoinette!"

Rolling his eyes, Kyouya returned to his work. "You're a moron," he stated simply.

"Kyyoooyyaaa!" Tamaki complained. "You're so mean!"

"It's taken you three years to notice?"

Pouting, Tamaki fell silent.

Just then, there was a knock on the door and in walked Fuyumi. "Oh, hello, Tamaki!" she greeted. "I didn't realize you were here."

The blonde smiled.

"Did you need something?" Kyouya asked, looking up.

"I'm going out for a couple of things," Fuyumi replied. "I was just wondering if you needed or wanted anything."

Kyouya glanced across the table at his best friend, "Aspirin would be nice…"

Tamaki returned to is pouting.

"A lot of aspirin."

Shaking her head, Fuyumi giggled and left the room.

"Seriously, Kyouya, you've got to come with me!"

"You sure recover fast, you know that?"

"Kyouya!"

Letting out a frustrated sigh, Kyouya snapped his notebook closed. "Tamaki, I'm only going to tell you this once, so listen good," he warned. "I am not going anywhere with you. I will willing do whatever else you'd like, as long as we remain in this house or on the grounds. But I am not, repeat not, leaving the premises until tomorrow morning when we go to school."

"But-!"

"No!"

Tamaki sulked, "You're no fun…"

Kyouya smirked, "And yet here you are."

The blonde stuck out his tongue childishly, turning his back to the other boy. "I just thought we could go see the Arcangelo's new house, instead…"

Blinking, Kyouya cocked his head to the side as if confused. "That's actually not a bad idea," he said. "I haven't seen the mansion yet, it could be an interesting experience."

Grinning brighter than the sun, Tamaki jumped to his feet. "YAY!"

"I never actually said I'd go. I just said it was a good idea…"

Tamaki returned to his Emo Corner.

* * *

**And I added a little something in the last part for ONE of my most dedicated fan for this story, who always comments, and every comment is positive! You told me one of your favorite episodes was "Kyouya's Reluctant day out" and by watching that this little thing popped into my head.**

**So, to end this on a high note: Thanks for the inspiration!**

**Love to all of my readers! PLEASE COMMENT NICELY! FLAMES WILL BURN UP MY LAPTOP AND THEN I WILL HAVE NO WAY TO POST MORE CHAPTERS FOR PEOPLE WHO LIKE THE STORY! xx**

* * *

**P.S. So, I was reading some stories today (like I do everyday), when I came across a Tamaki/Kyouya friendship oneshot and I remembered that a while back I had this kick where whenever I was bored an Ouran Oneshot would pop into my head and I would write it down and eventually I got two over 40 page documents of oneshots (granted most are a bit long, but still.) SO, I was thinking, I would post at least one of the files as like a collection. Only things is...I also was on a Kaoru/Kyouya Yaoi kick for a while and so one whole collection is that, and then one collection has dashes of it here and there so I'm not sure...Nicely let me know what you think I should do, please don't go off and tell me to burn in heck for coming up with Yaoi ideas... Thanks guys for wasting your time reading this! K I'm done now...**


	11. Friendzoned!

**YO!Sorry about the late update, guys, I've been working on a story for a different fandom and been dishing out one and twoshots for ANOTHER fandom.**

**But, hopefully no one hates me?**

**eNjOy!**

* * *

**Chapter: 10  
****Friendzoned!**

* * *

School. The thought made Alessandra cringe. It wasn't the school itself she didn't enjoy, it was the thought of having to see certain people. She had contemplated a class reassignment, but the request would have to be sent in by a parent with probable cause, and she knew that wasn't going to happen. So, with a heavy sigh, she grudgingly pulled herself out of bed and retrieved her uniform from the closet. Another thing that made her cringe: that damn uniform.

"Alessandra, breakfast!" Carmine called through the door.

"Coming!" she called back.

A smile slipped across her lips, as she relished the feeling of her first language rolling off her tongue. She had been speaking Japanese so much lately, she had almost forgotten what Italian sounded like.

Slipping on her shoes, Alessandra quickly ran a brush through her hair, before grabbing her school bag and heading downstairs to the dining room. Everyone was waiting patiently for her, and as she sat down at the table she was greeted by smiling faces.

"So, Alessandra," Antony said, in mischievous tone. "I'm excited for the Host meeting today. Especially since Carmine and I are friends with Hikaru now…not as much Kaoru, but Hikaru at least. Kaoru seemed to be a little more interesting in certain other people…"

Alessandra kicked both of her brothers under the table, shooting them sharp glares. "Shut-up," she hissed through her teeth.

"Who are we talking about now?" Maria asked.

"The Hitachiian brothers," Antony replied. "They're twins!"

Maria smiled, "Well, imagine that. A set of twins and a set of triplets, all in the same class."

Carmine opened his mouth to add something but, with one look from his sister, fell silent.

"We'd better get going," Alessandra mumbled, slinging her schoolbag over her one shoulder and standing up.

"Oh, I'm entertaining a competitor tonight," Tomas said. "So you need to get home as quickly as possible."

The siblings all nodded, before excusing themselves. They went outside to the awaiting limo and the driver held the door for them to slip into the backseat.

"Alessandra?"

The girl in question turned to look at Antony, only to find him staring out his window. "Yeah?"

"You don't like him back, do you?"

The question hung in the air like an anvil, and Alessandra could feel it crushing her harder and harder with every silent second that passed. She looked out the window, watching the scenery pass by in a blur of color and random shapes, trying to think of an acceptable answer. With a sigh, she realized she couldn't find one, and shook her head. "I don't know…"

The car was engulfed in silence once again as Alessandra pointedly ignored the frustrated look Carmine was sending her. She knew today was already going to be difficult, and she didn't need her brothers making things worse.

* * *

The silence carried on even after they arrived at school. Putting her things away in her locker, Alessandra checked the clock - still thirty minutes before classes started. Not waiting for the boys, she headed for the classroom. The hallway was still practically empty, besides a few scattered students here and there, as she walked toward the classroom. She didn't figure many people would be in yet, and hoped to get a few moments to herself before class began. Unfortunately, upon opening the door, she was met with the harsh reality that that was not going to happen.

There, sitting at his desk quietly, head down over a notebook and pen in hand as though doing last minute homework, was the object of her misery.

Kaoru looked up as he heard the girl enter, and instantly turned a bright shade of pink before ducking his head once again. Alessandra resisted the urge to laugh at his awkwardness, knowing she wasn't exactly any better. Quietly, she sat down at her table and distributed her notebook, pencil, and Math book in front of her.

"So…where are your brothers?"

The sound of the boy's voice was about as soothing as nails on a chalkboard, and Alessandra had to take few deep breaths to keep from vomiting. "Probably talking to friends."

There was a long, awkward pause.

"Where's Hikaru?"

"He went back to put his phone in his locker…"

Eyes glued to her unopened notebook, Alessandra racked her brain for something to say that wouldn't make the awkwardness worse. She could try to start an actual conversation with him, but she couldn't think of anything to start one. Maybe they could talk about what had happened? No, the goal was to find something that wouldn't make things worse. So what then? What could she do to cure this horrible silence?

As it turned out, she didn't have to do anything.

"Looks, I understand if you're…y'know…not interested."

Surprised, Alessandra turned around to face the boy. He was seated about three tables away, head down.

"I won't be upset."

Alessandra could see the way his fists clenched in his lap, and she knew he was lying. With a deep sigh, she stood and walked over to him. Pulling a chair from another table, she sat down across from him. "It's not that I'm not interest, Kaoru," she said, crossing her arms over the table. "It's just that…how can you say you like me, when all we know about each other is our names?"

Kaoru shrugged, silently, and Alessandra felt a twinge of guilt.

"I just think maybe we should get to know each other a bit better before you really decide."

Looking up, Kaoru held a small smile. "So, we can be friends?" he asked.

Alessandra smiled back, "Yes," she replied. "We can be friends."

"Hey, what's going on over here?"

The two looked up to see Hikaru, Carmine and Antony walking into the room, followed by a few other students.

Alessandra stood and walked back to her table. "Not much. We were just talking."

Hikaru eyes the girl skeptically, as he sat down. "Uh-huh…"

Kaoru nudged his twin lightly, passing a piece of notebook paper to him. Hikaru looked down at the paper and cringed at the words written:

_Friendzoned._

"Sorry, bro."

Kaoru shrugged, "It's better than nothing I guess," he said, barely hiding his disappointment. "I half expected it anyway."

* * *

Class passed at a snail's pace, and Alessandra was sure she was going to scream if it didn't end soon. She could feel Hikaru's eyes on her, shooting daggers into her skull, and she wanted nothing more than to throw her text book at him but she knew that would only land her in detention. So she focused on the board, not really listening to whatever the teacher was droning on about. And when the class was finally released, Alessandra wanted to jump for joy and run from the room, but repressed the urge and instead gathered her things slowly.

She heard Hikaru call her brother's over, but didn't say anything, or even look up for that matter.

"Hey, Alessandra."

She recognized the voice right away as Haruhi. "Hey." Her eyes never left her desk.

"Are you alright?" Haruhi asked, the concern evident in her voice. "I know you were pretty upset about what happened yesterday."

Alessandra slowly lifted her head. "I'm fine, really," she replied. "Those guys were just jerks, like you said."

Haruhi didn't seem to be buying it, but she left the matter drop. Pulling up another chair, she sat down across from the other girl. "So, you talked to Kaoru?"

"Yeah," Alessandra nodded.

"...well?"

"It was a little awkward to be honest, but we agreed to at least be friends for a while."

Haruhi smiled, "Hey, that's great!" she said. "So, what's it like in the new house?"

"It's nice," Alessandra said, halfheartedly. "Papa had it designed to look exactly like our Mansion back in Italy.

"Oh, I see," Haurhi said, knowingly. "Home sick?"

"A bit..."

"Don't worry, ok? I'm sure you'll get to go back to Italy soon!"

Alessandra did her best to smile. "Yeah..."

* * *

Later that day, Alessandra followed her brothers up to the club room, silently. She could hear a few scattered students whispering and staring - no doubt they heard what happened. Biting her lip, she ducked her head, hair falling around her face to hide her from the harsh ridicule.

As they reached the large pink doors, Alessandra was stopped by a group of customers.

"Hey, Arcangelo, right? The foreign student?"

Alessandra recognized the girl as Ren Yoshiro. She was fourth in the first year class, Haruhi being first, the twins taking second and third, respectfully.

Carmine and Antony paused in reaching for the door handle, and watched the girls carefully. "Problem?" they asked, in unison.

"Oh, we just want to talk to your sister!" Ren replied, smiling.

The three siblings exchanged suspicious looks, before the boys nodded and excused themselves. Once the door was closed, Ren grabbed Alessandra by the arm and shoved her against the wall.

"Listen up, girly, this little 'friendship' you've got with Kyouya, is _going_ to stop. Go it?"

Alessandra tried not to shrink as the three girls glared down at her. "I-I-I -,"

The girls laughed.

"Aw, listen to her!" one of the other's mocked. "She's almost cute!"

"Poor, baby!" the other added. "You wanna go run home to mama and papa now?"

Tears prickling at the corners of her eyes, Alessandra dropped her head again.

"What a wimp!"

"Yeah, pretty pathetic!"

"Wow," Ren shook her head, "you're really a waste of space, aren't you? Can you do anything but sit and breathe everyone else's air? Geez."

Hot tears started to slip down Alessandra's cheeks, and she bit her lip so hard she could taste blood. What had she done to deserve this?

"We're going to go inside now," Ren said, setting a had on her hip. "You better not follow. C'mon, girls."

Alessandra waited for the door to close, before quickly gathering her book-bag and it's now scatter contents, and rushing back down the hallway. Tears streamed her face, and she them away wiped violently as she made her way down stairs to the parking garage where the family car was supposed to be waiting.

She could see the car as she stepped through the door, and broke out into a run to reach it. The driver seemed spooked when she opened the back door and slid inside. "Home. Now."

"Yes, Miss," the driver said respectfully, as he started the car.

Alessandra wiped her face with her sleeve and pulled her compact mirror from her bag. Looking at her reflection, she was horrified to see her blotchy, swollen cheeks, and red, puffy eyes. Great, now she had to make sure to avoid her parents when she got home, or they'd be asking all sorts of questions. She thought about what those girls had said, and winced imagining what they would have done if they knew she had lived under the same roof as their precious Kyouya.

Letting out a heavy sigh, she leaned back against the leather seat, and closed her eyes.

She _knew_ this was going to be a bad day.

* * *

**Hope you liked it! ****And if you didn't...I don't wanna hear about it -_-**

**Reviews + kind = more chapters!**

**Thanks for reading!**


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